1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method for performing a communication control through a network and relates to a storage medium on which a computer readable program to realize such an image forming method has been stored. More particularly, the invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method of a network printer or the like such that, for example, when a printing process is performed, a print result is notified to a print job issuer, a printer manager, a printer supporter, or the like by using a server which communicates by a specific protocol or image data contents showing a print result are opened and can be displayed. The invention also relates to a storage medium on which a computer readable program to realize such an image forming method has been stored.
2. Related Background Art
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-171506 or the like, a conventional printing system is constructed such that in a document processing apparatus, when image data is formed from a document received via a network and is printed, a result of a printing process is not notified to a print requester.
In a recent remote print of a client server type, there is considered a method whereby to discriminate whether image data has been printed by a printer or not, a print server which dominates the printer leaves a history of a job even after print data was transmitted to the printer, the print server performs a polling to the printer, thereby discriminating whether the print data transmitted to the printer has been printed or not, and a print end notice is issued to a client who transmitted the print data of the printed job on the basis of a discrimination result and the history of the job. However, even if such a method is used, the print end is merely notified to the client who issued the job and which kind of output has been performed by the printing process cannot be discriminated.
In a system such that it is difficult to perform processes on only the printer side and a host computer shares local-connected printers by a network, the above processes can be realized to a certain extent. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-130554 or the like, when the host computer receives a print notice from the local-connected printer, the host computer analyzes whether the printing process has successfully been performed or failed on the basis of the print notice and notifies the printer of an analysis result by E-mail or the like. As contents which are notified by the E-mail, only the result of the printing process is notified.
In recent years, a printing apparatus which can access to WWW (World Wide Web) by itself has been considered. However, in the case where a print job is received from WWW and the printer performs a print based on the print job, it is presumed that the client who requested the print job instructed through a Web. It is considered that it is impossible to discriminate whether the print data has normally been printed or a print output different from a result presumed by the client has been performed.
In the conventional technique, however, when printing via the network, a message indicative of a print result is not notified or an image as a print result is not transmitted to an issuer of the print job, so that the following problems (a) to (d) occur.
(a) Since the message showing the print result is not notified, it is necessary to inquire of a relational database or the like to manage a print image after the printing.
(b) A result (information such as status of a process showing xe2x80x9csuccessxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cfailurexe2x80x9d, the number of print papers, print time, and the like) of the printing process is merely confirmed and the actual print result cannot be visually confirmed.
(c) In case of a remote print, in many cases, the issuer of the print job and the network printer exist at remote positions with respect to the distance and, to visually confirm the print result, the issuer has to move to the network printer and to confirm the print result or the print result has to be transmitted to the issuer of the-print job by means such as mail or the like, so that it takes a moving time of the issuer or a transmitting time of the print result. Further, a case where the client who transmits the print job via WWW requests the print job, for instance, from a quite different place is also considered. In such a case, the user has to make contact with an office of a print output destination and to ask whether desired contents have been outputted or not.
(d) When the print output differs from a desired print result, raster image data formed by the network printer cannot be again used.
It is, therefore, the first object of the invention to provide an information processing apparatus in which an output result of a print or the like can be promptly, easily, and visually confirmed on an issuer of a job such as a print or the like.
The second object of the invention is to provide an information processing apparatus in which contents of error information of a print or the like can be easily referred and a management and a maintenance of an output device such as a printer or the like can be promptly and accurately performed.
According to the invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: analyzing means for analyzing a print job received from an external apparatus; image processing means for generating an output image on the basis of an analysis result by the analyzing means and outputting the output image to a printer engine; and image converting means for converting a format of the output image generated by the image processing means and holding a converted image file so that it can be derived from the external apparatus.
The image forming apparatus can communicate with the external apparatus via a network and the Internet.
The image forming apparatus further has: discriminating means for discriminating whether a printing process could normally be performed or not on the basis of a print job received from the external apparatus; and status information generating means for generating a print result by the discriminating means as status information, wherein the status information is held so that it can be obtained from the external apparatus.
The image forming apparatus further has notifying means for notifying the status information showing the print result generated by the status information generating means to a requester of the relevant print job.
The image file is data constructed by only a first page of the output image.
The image-forming apparatus further has obtaining means for accessing to the external apparatus on the basis of location information that is designated by the print job in the case where it is analyzed by the analyzing means that the print job is a pull print for obtaining print data from the outside and performing a printing process, and for obtaining the print data to be printed.
When it is determined by the analyzing means that the print job is the pull print, the image converting means forms and holds an image file. When it is decided by the analyzing means that the print job is a push print including the print data, the image converting means does not form any image file.
The image forming apparatus further has: address allocating means for extracting error information from the status information, referring to correspondence table of the error information and an address to notify of an error, and allocating an address every kind of the corresponding error; and notice data generating means for generating data to notify the notice destination on the basis of the status information and the generated error information.
When it is determined by the analyzing means that the requester of the print job is a client who communicates via the Internet, the image converting means forms and holds the image file. When it is decided by the analyzing means-that the requester of the print job is a client who communicates via the LAN, the image converting means does not form any image file.